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The Flowcode Process

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'Flowcode' offers an easy way to program PICmicro chips, as you will see. Once the flowchart is designed, on-screen, press a button and the software translates it into numerical code.

There is a process here that you need to understand: Flowcode passes your program through a number of processes before it gets sent into your PICmicro device: the flowchart is first processed into C code, then into Assembler, and finally into hexadecimal numbers or 'Hex'. The PICmicro device 'understands' Hex code. The Hex code is then sent into your PICmicro device. To send the Hex code into your PICmicro Flowcode runs a subsidiary program called 'PPP'. When you select Build > Project Options... Configure from the Flowcode menu the program PPP is what you see. PPP controls a number of PICmicro options and configurations by setting the value of registers inside the device when you download a program.

The Hex code is 'burned' into the program memory of the PICmicro chip. Remember that Flash Memory is used to form the program memory? This means that the program is not lost when the PICmicro chip is removed from the programmer, allowing you to use the PICmicro in a circuit. Equally, the use of Flash type memory means that you can reuse the PICmicro, and overwrite the program memory with a new program.

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